Out of the Blue: the Cyanotypes of Anna Atkins

A pioneer in photography and marine biology

Bronwen Scott

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L to R: Ptilota plumosa; Ulva latissima; Codium tormentosum. Spencer Collection, New York Public Library Digital Collections. Public Domain.

The difficulty of making accurate drawings of objects as minute as many of the algae and Confervae, has induced me to avail myself of Sir John Herschel’s beautiful process of Cyanotype, to obtain impressions of the plants themselves, which I have much pleasure in offering to my botanical friends.

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Bronwen Scott

Zoologist, writer, artist, museum fan, enjoying life in the tropical rainforest of Far North Queensland. She/her. Website: bronwenscott.com